Legislation applying to dogs in Sweden
1. Supervision of dogs and cats incl. regarding dog owner liability
Swedish legislation regarding dog owner liability is extremely strict.
As an example:
- Dog owner 1 ("Emma") has her dog ("Elvis") on a leash.
- Dog owner 2 ("Felix") has his dog ("Fido") off-leash in an area where leashing is mandatory
- "Fido" starts running towards "Elvis"
- " Felix" tries to call his dog, but "Fido" continues all the way and attacks "Elvis"
- "Emma" tries to stop "Fido" and pull him off "Elvis" but doesn't succeed
- "Elvis" eventually bites "Fido" back
- "Emma" is liable to " Felix" for the injuries "Elvis" has caused "Fido"
"Section 1 Dogs and cats shall be kept under such supervision and managed in such a way as is necessary, considering their nature and other circumstances, to prevent them from causing harm or significant inconvenience."